Heney case



(NoModeL) H. CASE.

7 soumnme ROD. I N0. 317,089. Patented May 5, 1885.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY CASE, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO MARGARET A. CASE, or SAME PLACE.

SOUNDlNG-ROD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0.317,089, dated May 5, 1885.

Application filed December 15, 1884. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern: Be it known that 1', HENRY CASE, a citizen of the United States of North America, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of 'New York, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Sounding-Rods, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a tubular hydraulic excavating sounding-rod for ascertaining the character of the different strata of earth and the obstructions therein on land and in river or harbor bottoms preparatoryto sinking piles or laying foundations for superstructures. The invention consists of a tube, or two or more tubes coupled together, and with a hose, in combination with a jet or stream of water passing through the hose and tube under pressure. r

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in all the figures;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved sounding-rod. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 shows a modification of the same.

This improved device is constructed of two or more pieces of metal tubing, A B, couple together by ordinary couplings, G.

The long straight leg of the rod may be composed of one or more sections of tube coupled together, according to the depth at which the soundings are to be made, the lowerend or point of the rod being preferably somewhat pointed, as shown at a. The head A of the rod is, preferably, a section of tube bent in U-form, as shown, coupled at one end to the straight leg B, and having coupled to the other end by an ordinary coupling a screw-threaded nipple, 1), to the lower end of which a section,

E, of hose is secured by a hose-coupling, F.

The sounding-rod thus constructed is designed, when in use, to be suspended bya 5 sling, E, as shown in Fig. 1.

In a modified form of this rod, (shown in Fig. 3,) the head consists of aT-shaped tube flanged at one end, as shown at b, and having screwedinto the upper end a plug, 0, in the g center of which an eyebolt, d, is secured, by

which the device may be suspended, said eyebolt being designed to swivel or turn. The straight leg of the rod is secured to the head by a flanged coupling, f, and bolts f and the hose is coupled to the horizontal bent arm of 5 the head, as shown.

In operating this device it is usually swung from a derrick or crane, and lowered until the point slightly penetrates the earth. Then water is forced under pressure by a force-pump or other means through the hose and rod and out, of the point of the latter. The water issuing in a stream or jet, as indicated at o, from the orifice in the pointof the rod, removes or washes away the earth with which it comes in immediate contact, and the rod, beingproperly guided, sinks by its own weight in the hole that is excavated by the water-jet, the hole constantly increasing in depth and the rod a sinking deeper and deeper as long as the operation continues. As the rod penetrates down through mud, sand, clay, or gravel the characteristics of the various strata are made manifest by the excavated matter. Should the rod encounter an obstruction, the character of the obstruction may be at once determined by applying the hand or car to the rod and striking the point of the latter upon the obstruction. Contact with stones will give out one sound or character of vibrations, with wood another sound or character of vibrations, and with metal still anotheuso that each obstructing substance will, in effect, telephone its character through the hollow rod to the operator. If it be desired to remove the obstruction encountered, the point of the sounding-rod can be moved around and beneath it, and the constantly-issuing water-jet will remove the surrounding and sub-lying mud or earth, so that the obstruction will sink in the hole thus made to any desired depth.

The ordinary sounding-rod is simply a sharp-pointed rod of. iron that when used must be pushed or driven down by force into the earth. It can be made to penetrate but a short distance into the earth, clay, gravel, or sand, and hence is of but little or no service where piles or deep-foundations are to be set, nor will it indicate the character of the various strata through which it may be forced, nor remove obstructions 5 and the earth-auger that is sometimes applied for these purposes I and with a hose, in combination with a jet or is but little better than the ordinary rod. stream of water passing through the hose and This tubular hydraulic excavating soundtube or tubes under pressure, all arranged 15 ing-rod, this combined tube, hose, and waterand operated as set forth.

jet, will also keep open any holes under wa- In testimony that I claim the foregoing as ter or in dr round so that an thin can be In inventionI have si ned m name in resy a y y a y :3 p

lowered into the hole While open. ence of two witnesses, this 9th day of May,

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1884:.

as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A sounding-rod, constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of a tube, or two or more tubes coupled together,

HENRY CASE.

Witnesses:

J AOOB J. S'roRER, ALBERT P. MORIARTY. 

